Security Knowledge Base

The scariest type of hack isn't the one that replaces your homepage with a skull and crossbones. It’s the one you don’t see. Modern cybercriminals prefer to remain invisible. They want your server resources to mine cryptocurrency, send spam emails, or redirect your visitors to malicious websites without you knowing. According to recent security reports,…

Here is a sobering statistic: Over 90% of all hacked WordPress sites are compromised through a plugin vulnerability, not the WordPress core software itself. While WordPress core is rigorously maintained by a massive security team, the 60,000+ plugins in the repository are built by third-party developers with varying levels of security expertise. Many site owners…

The wp-config.php file is the single most important file in your WordPress installation. It contains your database credentials, authentication keys, and security constants that control how WordPress behaves at its core. Yet most WordPress administrators never touch it after the initial setup — leaving critical security features disabled by default. In this guide, we'll walk…

You have installed an SSL certificate. You have set up a 301 redirect to send all traffic from HTTP to HTTPS. You think you are secure. You might be wrong. There is a small window of vulnerability called the "First Visit Gap." When a user types yoursite.com into their browser (without https://), the browser first…

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is one of the oldest and most dangerous vulnerabilities on the web. It happens when a hacker injects malicious JavaScript into your site (e.g., via a comment form or a compromised plugin) to steal visitor data or redirect traffic. While firewalls (WAFs) try to block these attacks at the door, Content Security…

Have you ever visited a website URL and, instead of seeing a webpage, you saw a raw list of files and folders that looked like a file manager? This is called Directory Browsing (or Directory Indexing). While it might seem harmless—or even convenient for developers—leaving directory browsing enabled on a production WordPress site is a…

Sensitive Data Exposure consistently ranks in the OWASP Top 10 web application security risks. For WordPress sites, this usually happens not because of complex code vulnerabilities, but due to simple housekeeping errors. Developers and administrators often leave backup files, configuration snippets, or debug logs in publicly accessible directories. These files are invisible to the average…

The robots.txt file is primarily known as an SEO tool—it tells search engine crawlers like Googlebot which parts of your site they should or shouldn't access. However, from a security perspective, robots.txt is often a double-edged sword. While it can help reduce server load from bad bots, it is frequently used incorrectly to "hide" sensitive…

When you search for "WordPress Security" in the plugin repository, you are immediately faced with a difficult choice. Three giants dominate the market: Wordfence, Sucuri, and iThemes Security (now rebranded as Solid Security). Together, they protect millions of websites. But they are not created equal. One is a firewall specialist. One focuses on "hardening" your…

You've just run your first scan on FunSentry. The results are in — a circular gauge, some colored counters, a list of expandable categories, and terms like "Critical," "HSTS," and "CVSS." If you're not sure what to make of it all, you're in the right place. This guide walks through every element of the FunSentry…

Your WordPress database is the "brain" of your website. It contains every post you have ever written, every comment, your plugin settings, and—most critically—your users' personal data and hashed passwords. We all know we should backup our database. But few site owners realize that how you backup is just as important as doing it. A…

When you run your website through a scanner like FunSentry, Mozilla Observatory, or SecurityHeaders.com, you are often presented with a grade ranging from A+ to F. Seeing a bright red "F" can be panic-inducing. Does it mean you are hacked? Does it mean your site is broken? Not necessarily. A security score is like a…